As a massive fan of Yoon Ha Lee's previous series (the wonderful space opera series that starts with Ninefox Gambit), I was an easy sell for a fantasy book from the same author, especially that rarest of animals the standalone novel. While I can't say I'm an equal fan of the cover art chosen for the book, its contents were enough on their own to sell me completely.

Phoenix Extravagant is set in a world where automata have been introduced for some roles, such as policing the local populace of the occupied territory of Hwamal, now a subject state of the neighbouring country of Razanei. Jebi just wants to get a secure job, one which will allow them to use their talents for art, but their background is something of a handicap even though they try to hide it by taking on a Razanei name. This causes conflict between Jebi and their sister, still mourning the death of her wife during the invasion, who becomes even more incensed when Jebi takes on a job with the Ministry of Armor.

In an extension of the automata, the Ministry has used their technology to create automata for use in warfare and wants to use Jebi's knowledge and skills to understand just what went wrong with the one they currently have locked in the basement. Jebi is horrified to discover the source of the automaton's self-awareness and, alongside their growing relationship with the Ministry's chief duellist, finds themself becoming Hwamal's most unlikely revolutionary.

I really enjoyed Phoenix Extravagant, which has a plethora of interesting world-building elements and the author's customary sly humour. Jebi as a protagonist has a one-track mind without being two-dimensional and their relationship with their sister in particular feels very genuine. If I have any complaints, it might be about the speed with which Jebi and Vei's relationship appears, seemingly created out of very little, but that's a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very, very excited to read this as I was a huge fan of the Machineries of Empire series- be aware that this is very different! Not bad, exactly, but it's paced and plotted differently (a little less ruthlessly), though you can see ideas that Yoon Ha Lee was toying with in regards to artificial intelligence and identity still at play in the character of Arazi, the pacifist war dragon mech.

Set in a fantasy version of Korea under Japanese occupation, I found Phoenix Extravagant to be an interesting but ultimately unsatisfying read. Something about the plotting just felt half baked to me- long stretches of time seem to be skipped over and while I appreciate that we can't see every little thing the main character, Jebi, does, I still finished the book feeling like I hadn't spent enough time with them. Which was a shame, because I really liked Jebi- at once both cowardly and given to unexpected (even to themselves!) acts of kindness and heroism, I found them to be a very likeable and human main character.

Maybe it was the fact that their relationship with Bongsunga, their sister, has most of its development in the back half of the book, or maybe it's because Jebi spends a lot of time in Phoenix Extravagant basically in their own head, but I just wasn't gripped by this book the way Yoon Ha Lee's other writing has held me.

However, it's still Yoon Ha Lee, so- buy it, and draw your own conclusions!

I have to say I’m predisposed to like Phoenix Extravagant because Machineries of the Empire is one of my favourite series.

This is something new again, a gorgeous novel filled with complex and diverse characters set in a fantasy version Korea Hwaguk occupied by the Japanese – called Razanei. Jebi, the non-binary protagonist, Vei [redacted because spoilers] plus a wider cast including mecha dragons and fox spirits.

It would be easy to see this as easier than his previous series because the worldbuilding is more familiar; an analogue to worlds we recognise, unlike the more alien, numeric Hexarchate. But I found great depth in the constant colonial references, from Jebi’s initial obliviousness to the pain of their name change, to their complicity in engaging with the Razanei. Everything is considered; the cultural differences between art, food, even magic were explored with a subtle touch.

I was hooked from the beginning; I wanted to hold up every page and press it against other people’s faces and say ‘read it! look how good it is!’ There’s a strong balance between the lighter moments and the horrific consequences of the ongoing story. I don’t want to say too much, I’d hate to spoil anything for a novel this good.

Plus, who could resist this cover?

Yoon Ha Lee has done it once again. It is tempting to compare Phoenix Extravagant to his other prominent work, Machineries of the Empire, which is easily one of my all time favorite science fiction series. In some ways the comparisons are unavoidable, but I did my best to view Phoenix Extravagant as it’s own independent work. And it does stand on its own, quite magnificently. While it doesn’t necessarily carry the same breadth of world-building and action as Lee’s other works, it nonetheless packs a punch in ways that are smaller, subtler, but equally compelling. Lee remains a master of creating relatable and fascinating characters; from Jebi themselves, to Vei, Bongsunga, and even the metal dragon Arazi. The strength of interpersonal relationships amid the complex plot, a keystone of what I admire about Lee’s work, shines in this novel.

Additionally, Phoenix Extravagant struck me as a compelling parable about war, as well as the atrocities of colonization and imperialism, both overt and subtle. While the horror of war and the terrible lengths people will go to justify their actions on both sides was prominent, the subtler tragedies of imperialism felt to me the most impactful—Jebi’s name change and the strife it caused between them and their sister, offhand comments made by side characters about changing cultural norms, the systematic destruction of art for the purpose of war, the looming presence of “the west” though the westerners themselves were mostly a sight unseen. I also found the story a very significant comment on the colonial theft of art through imperialism. As a White American I am obviously not able to directly relate to much of this commentary, but it does allow me to think long and hard about the dark imperialist past of my nation and culture, and the ways (in my opinion) that we are still complicit in the hoarding of cultural artifacts that are not our own—but I digress.

The one thing that bothered me, besides my desire to see more lush worldbuilding, was that sometimes I felt like there was too much going on. While I enjoyed the mention of more explicitly fantastical elements—Fox spirits, the celestials living in the sky—they did feel a little bit out of place with the rest of the story. So much else about the magic of the world, e.g. the masks, the glyphs, the pigment making process— was gone over in such intensive detail that it felt a little bit strange to have these other magical elements included without equivalent background or explanation.

Still, I was inspired and delighted by Phoenix Extravagant, and strongly hope that Lee continues this story in the future.